Mount Tai, also known as Dongyue in ancient times, also known as Daishan, Daiyue, Daizong and Taiyue, is the first of the five mountains. Located in the central part of Shandong Province, stretching between Tai'an, Jinan and Zibo cities, it is about 200 kilometers long from east to west and about 50 kilometers wide from north to south. The main peak, Yuhuangding, is located in the north of Tai'an City, with an east longitude of 117°6', a north latitude of 36°16', and an altitude of 1,545 meters. It looks to the east of the Yellow Sea, to the west of the Yellow River, to the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, and to the back of Jinan, the spring city. It stands majestically in the east of China with the power of reaching the sky. It is famous in ancient and modern times as the only five mountains. It can be regarded as the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The epitome of history and culture. In 1982, it was listed as one of the first batch of national key scenic spots by the State Council; in 1987, it was listed as a world heritage by UNESCO. It is a world-famous mountain that integrates natural and cultural heritage.
The formation of Mount Tai has gone through the evolution of various geological eras from the Archaean to the Cenozoic. The Yanshan Movement laid its foundation, and the Himalayan Movement created its majesty. The Taishan Formation has a double-layered structure of basement and caprock typical of the North China Platform. The geological structure is dominated by faults and is controlled by the uplift of tilted fault blocks. Faulting activities have caused it to rise, forming a strong contrast with the vast North China Plain. Affected by faults, the southern part of Mount Tai has a large rise. During the process of rising and weathering, its base layer has different peaks and steep peaks, exposing a large area of ??basement complex. The northern part has a small rise, with low ridges and gentle slopes, wide valleys and shallow gullies, preserving typical Paleozoic cover.
The landforms of Mount Tai are divided into four major types: alluvial platform, denudation and accumulation hills, tectonic denudation low mountains, and erosional structure mid-low mountains. In terms of spatial image, it goes from low to high, resulting in layers of mountains and towering mountains. The towering momentum forms a landscape composed of a variety of terrain groups.
The Taishan Complex has a history of 2.5 billion years and is one of the oldest rocks in the world. It has important scientific value for studying the Proterozoic geological structure, magmatic activity and plate tectonics in eastern China. The limestone and sandy shale in Zhangxia, Gushan and Chaomidian areas at the northwest foot of Mount Tai are typical. They are the standard section of Cambrian strata in the north and are the naming places or origins of type specimens for many species of paleontology. In the 1980s, the discovery of cylindrical joints in diabase porphyry veins in Zhongxi, Piedmont, attracted the attention of the international geological community.
In the southern part of Mount Tai, fissure springs are widely distributed in the Archaean rock formations. From the top of Dai to the foothills, springs and streams compete for flow, and the mountains are high and the water is long. The spring water is sweet, colorless and transparent, containing various trace elements needed by the human body. It is high-quality mineral water and was called "Taishan Divine Water" in ancient times. In the northern part of Mount Tai, the middle and upper Cambrian and Ordovician carboniferous rock formations tilt to the north, and groundwater emerges as springs where the terrain is cut. From Jinxiuchuan to the north, there are gurgling springs dotted here and there. In the edge of the northern foothills, karst water underflows to the north and is intercepted by the gabbro in the stratigraphic area.
The Taishan area has a temperate monsoon climate with obvious vertical changes: the average annual temperature at the top of the mountain is 5.3°C, which is 7.5°C lower than Taicheng at the foot of the mountain; the average annual rainfall is 1124.6 Millimeters are equivalent to 1.5 times those at the foot of the mountain; the four seasons are distinct under the mountain, while spring and autumn are connected on the mountain. Mount Tai has a long winter, with a freezing period of 150 days. The lowest temperature at the top is -27.5°C, creating a spectacle of rime and rain. In summer and autumn, the clouds and rain change, the peaks are like black clouds, the forests are thick and the springs are flying, and the weather is endless.
Mount Taishan has dense vegetation with a wide variety of vegetation, with a coverage rate of 90% and a vertical distribution. Climbing up the steps from the foothills, you can see deciduous forest, broad-leaved coniferous mixed forest, coniferous forest, and alpine shrubs and grasses in sequence. The forest belts have clear boundaries and different plant landscapes.
The Taishan area is rich in resources, including coal, iron, rock salt, gypsum, sulfur, serpentine, jasper and other mineral deposits. Taishan chestnut, walnut, peach, Cyperus rotundus, carrageenan, Taishan Ganoderma lucidum, white Local specialties such as Shouwu and Taishan red-scale fish are famous both at home and abroad. Taishan granite has a compact structure, fine texture and colorful colors. The processed red, black, green, flower, wave stone and other slabs have become high-end building decoration materials that sell well at home and abroad.
Mount Tai has a long history and splendid culture. In ancient times, the ancestors living in the Taishan area created the Beixin Culture, Dawenkou Culture, and Longshan Culture, and gradually formed the Taishan Cultural Area.